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Trois Agents

performance
posted on 2024-12-10, 23:06 authored by Andrew BrownAndrew Brown, Toby Gifford

A live performance that explores sonic interaction and collective musical expression, extending textually to multiple voices through the amplification of gestural expression by computational reflexivity. As an exploration of interaction and collective expression, Trois Agents is both obvious and mysterious. The work is for two human and one virtual performer but expands textually to multiple voices through the amplification of gestural expression by computational reflexivity. The trio format is well established in music and this work continues a recent trend toward active and deliberate inclusion of a technological musical participant in the ensemble. Andrew Brown and Toby Gifford are both developers of CIM, the virtual musician, and are performers in the trio. They are researchers at Griffith University in Australia. They use their unique insights into their virtual partner to provoke and invoke the expressive interaction, but are constantly surprised by the indeterminate responses of CIM which, in turn, stimulate their own improvisational evolution.

History

ERA Category

  • Performance of Creative Work - Music

Funding type

  • Other

Eligible major research output?

  • Yes

Research Statement

Research Background Trois Agents is a semi-improvised musical trio involving two human musicians and a computational improvisation system (CIM) developed by the researchers. This project investigates the dynamics of interaction and collective expression between human and virtual performers, building on our ongoing research into musical agency and interaction. Research Contribution The virtual performer, specifically developed for this project, introduces a multiplicity of voices by amplifying gestural expression through computational reflexivity. While existing research in human-machine music improvisation has predominantly focused on duet interactions, this performance breaks new ground by presenting the first public trio (two human performers and one computer) employing our CIM interactive music software. Originally designed for human-computer duets, this performance extends its application to a more complex ensemble, demonstrating the system's capacity for adaptation and versatility. Research Significance The performance was part of a curated concert featuring international musicians, organized by Dr. Arne Eigenfeldt at Simon Fraser University. The CIM software employed in the trio is grounded in a theoretical model of duet musical interaction, developed by the researchers (Brown 2018). Performances with this system serve not only as artistic presentations but also as experimental validations of the model. This semi-improvised performance highlights the technical and artistic challenges of real-time computational management, including the analysis of multiple live performer streams and the generation of appropriate responses within an expanded ensemble setting.

Place of publication

Fei and Milton Wong Experimental Theatre, Vancouver, Canada

Confidential / Culturally sensitive

  • No

Copyright notes

© 2013 Andrew Brown and Toby Gifford

References

Brown, Andrew R. 2018. “Creative Improvisation with a Reflexive Musical Bot.” Digital Creativity 29 (1): 5–18. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14626268.2017.1419979.

Language

French

Number of discrete components

0

Duration of performance

12 minutes

Performance size

  • Group

Number of work performers

1

Estimated size of audience

50

Authors of work performed

Andrew R. Brown and Toby Gifford

Was the work disseminated?

  • No

Did the work go on tour?

  • No

Translated title

Three Agents

Outlet title language

English

Series title

Trois Agents

Reference number

103245

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